The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-06-22
OIL EXCITEMENT IN NEW YORK.
History Of the Woicott Gas Sprlng-Su-
perstitious Ideas Of the Indians.

/ W OLtOII June %l-Neotllug among the
/ hl., Of eastern Wayne county, ~ " on the
/ iuc Of the Rome, Watert0wn and Ogdcns-
| burg railroad, some twenty seven miles west
| of the city Of Oswcgo, lies the pretty village
of Wolcott Ina times gone by, when the vol
umc Of water filling the bed Of Wolcott creek
| nas FAR greater than at present. Wolc0tt Falls
| around which the village clusters, We're Wis
| ifDl hy large numbers Of distinguished for
r.-ucr-. One of whom composed a poem Of
unusual merit. founded ON am Indian legend
connected with the cataract Louis Philippe
was one of these visitors, and i'm the Me
moiIes de Amcrique' afterward published
| by his direction, the falls and tho wooded
glen below them were alluded % i'm glowing
| terms.
I'm thi, glen, nearly 100 years previously
/ Ga,c0gue Nnette, q French explorer half
/ Jesuit half trader, made an interesting dis
c0yery He found the chief medicine lodge
of the lroquos located here, by the side Of a
/ large spring, known i'm the dialect Of the On
ondagas ass "the well If the Great Spirit A
sacred fire was kept continually burning
above the surface of the water, being fed, as
/ the Indians declared. boy the Great Spirit
I himself Inspired by the religious enthus
asm of his day, Mmette cndeavored 10 extn-
euish the fire, so as Co prove false the Indian
assertion that it would burn forever His at
Tempt proved futile and the Indians TO pun
+ i.h his sacllege, cut of his hands and ears
and allowed him thus mutilated 20 return 90
Canada.
During the French and Indian war the
lroQuols abandoned the lodge, and the fire, mo-
longer protected from adverse air currents,
became cxtmguIshed As time passed ON its
very existence was forgotten, except among
Indian ,hrOmc,ers who 10 this day retain
traditions of lbs former miraculous powers
Owing o. the disagrocable odOr Of the gas the
spring was known among the early settlers
as The sulphur spring. though scientific
analysis fails 90 find "a trace of sulphur IN its
composition
Not until after the Pennsylvania oil craze
was the true character Of the spring su,-
pected I'm 1871 a company was organized To-
bore for oil, but before anything had been
accomplished the financial depression then
affecting the whole country caused the aban-
doumeut of tho enterprise. But the people of
the neighborhood were convinced that pctro
leum in large quantities lay beneath the sur
face. awaiting the touch of some daring spec
ulator's hand 90 transform the rugged rayiue
into property more valuable than gold
mine Eminent scientists had repeatedly as
serted that the geological formation Of the
country pointed To no other conclusion.
OF the existence of gas there could be no
doubt. The village boy had inverted hogs
head over the spring and in the upper head
bored an nuger hole The hogshead was con-
stantly filled with gas and their favorte
amusement was 90 induce umsuspecung
strangers to touch lighted match o. the APP
erture The boys would be conveniently out
of range when the explosion ensued. but the
victims were never So fortunate. Two years
ago Ii man by the name OF Fowler was nearly
killed by such practical joke, and since then
the village authorities have forbidden any
tampcrng with the gas. You have already
read of the result of the boring this spring
Early this season company composed OF
the leading citizens Of w ayue and neighbOr
ing counties was organized for the purpose OF
sinking am experimental well near the spring
The derrick and machinery are now completed
and boring will soon begin The Worbmen who
have constructed the derrick have labored
undcr almost nsurmountable difficulties. For
some unaccouutable reason the eXhalaton Of
oos from the spring has been much greater
during the past six weeks than ever before
The workmen have beeu unable % labor con-
tnuously in the poisonous atmosphere, and
SIX hours per day has sutliced 20 exhaust the
strongest Before commencing 70 bore It has
been deemed necessary 20 lay pipes 20 conduct
the gas away from the derrick One OF these
pipes has already been laid, and at IT'S cx-
remity a flame seventeen feet IN height Is
constantly burning The blaze Of the burn
mg gas can be- seen for over eleven miles,
and. on dark nights, its meteor thrown
against the sky is very beautiful At least
two more pipes will be necessary, as double
the quantity Of gas consumed is escaping
around the spring Were gas the only thing
wanted there would be no need Of boring, as
enough is being wasted daily TO supply half
Of the state The Standard Oil company has
TWO agents in town leasing all the available
land in a radius of five miles Pennsylvania,
in her palmiest days, could scarcely rival the
intense excitement Of this formerly quiet
neghborhood H. L. H.